Best Hi Fi upgrade in thirty years

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Dougster

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Just installed first Moon 750D available in Uk. This is designed as a DAC and CD player (not SACD), aiming to make the best of all available digital files and streaming. Sampling at up to 192kHz and working at 32 bits it is one serious piece of machinery. It will in the future have an external power supply option.

Considering an upgrade from their previously second top model -the well respected Super Nova - I was intrigued to see whether the new player could wring more from red book CD and whether this was marginal or not. Initial shop audition via Focal speakers (£18,000 !!) suggested home trial would be worthwhile.

At home the results, and this from a unit that has done only a tiny amount of Moon's recommmended 400 hours run in (!!), are quite superb. The overriding impression is of utterly beguiling naturalness, and a quite phenomenal level of detail that is not "hi fi only detail" (if you know what I mean), but instead an expansion of the music in communicativeness with a clear sense of the purpose, virtuousity and collective endeavour of the muscians involved. Quite entrancing.

It's perfomance with digital files from BBC satellite radio recorded on my Humax Hard Disk is similarly impressive, and the BBC iPlayer streamed music is presented with unexpected dynamics detail and realism recalling CD performance. As such a vast range of free high quality music becomes available.

Of interest to fellow Spire Owners is the revelation in bass performance showing the Spires capable of awesome dynamics, and bass harmony and texture, in the context of a gloriously natural, rhythmically fascinating presentation. I would not have believed the Moonproduct could achieve all this until I heard it!

(The website http://simaudio.com provides the technical detail of efforts to ensure minimum distortion, jitter and filter contaminants, and also virtual elimination of jitter.
 
Ive got one on the way for review, so glad to hear you like it. I'm very interested in this player!!

Thanks for the initial word..
 
From the company that created the Andromeda this is a very special, landmark product. Apparently used with the Andromeda as transport it's even more mind boggling. And did you like the Phono power supply PSX 5.3?!

The DAC is such a great solution to excellent quality from Internet/ PC / server files and fab CD quality.
 
Don't forget the Oppo SE doobery uses the same DAC chipset, as Joe pointed out, for a lot less. Not saying you'll get the same results from it, mind...;)
 
Thanks Jeff.

Glad you got a reply from Jeff, Steve as I wouldn't have known the US price.
Re Justin.. Interesting point and if the Oppo delivers the goods, fair play to them. In a Moon system the appearance and their attention to the overall design (see website re power supplies, and timing and jitter) makes me more than happy. The key thing is how utterly engaging it is, with microdynamics, timing and timbre combining to draw you in to all kinds of musical programme, even CDs you felt were boring and a poor purchase decision. Given the above and a grand trade in from Loud and Clear in Edinburgh I am delighted. Mandatory listen if your lucky enough to be seeking in that price range - I have a CD collection with vinyl magic!
 
The Oppo SE DACs are not the same as the Simaudio Moon 750D. Same DAC supplier but a different chip and a very different implementation of the DAC in the Moon 750D vs the Oppo SE. Both are great DACs but the ES9018S is ESS's top of the line DAC.

Oppo SE DAC = Sabre32 Ultra (ES9016)

Moon 750D = SABRE32 Reference DAC / Digital Filter (ES9018S)
 
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Thanks Craig I am sure it will sound even better now!!
Where did you find that out as a matter if interest!
 
Yes Justin, I see it, I just can't remember I saw it or who I saw it with.:D

The ESS DACs are the same family of 32 bit DACs, the Oppo actually uses two ESS DACs and it is interesting how they do it. They actually stack 4 DACs per channel for stereo and then use a separate 8 channel DAC for the multi-channel analog. I for one don't get that, but then I never use two channels:rocker:

Anyway, everyone is waiting to see what the result is. Could be good or could be great, one thing for sure is many are hailing the ESS 32 bit DACs as some of the best out there right now. If nothing else it will be interesting to see how an OPPO Universal Disc Player priced at $899 with 2 ESS DACs built in, compares to a Simaudio transport with a built in 2 channel ESS DAC priced at $11,500. At least that is the price I was quoted. I currently own a Simaudio Titan 5 channel amp and a Simaudio Moon Orbiter UDP, so my dealer thinks I am a soft touch for a 750D, which if they did a MCH version I probably would be:D

From the OPPO website:

The OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition uses the state-of-the-art Sabre32 family of Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC) from ESS Technology. The Sabre32 family is known as one of the industry's highest performance audio DACs and are often found in high-end audiophile and professional equipment. The OPPO BDP-83 Special Edition uses an 8-channel Sabre Premier (ES9006) DAC chip for its 7.1 multi-channel output. The dedicated stereo output uses another 8-channel Sabre32 Ultra (ES9016) DAC chip by stacking 4 DACs for each of the Left and Right channels to achieve even greater audio performance.
 
Our review sample is shipping friday, so it should be here next weekend...

Very curious to hear this!
 
I thought you were busy watching football and eating turkey that whole weekend with the family, like the rest of us.:D

Can't wait to hear how you sneak off to do critical music listening without the family on a holiday weekend.......or is that what the big D was referring too?:D
 
so what happened thirty years ago that was so great ???
 
Hi Bruce,

I heard Simaudio is supposed to make a dac based on the 750 D in the future. Maybe it might be worth waiting for and hooking up to the Supernova. I may go that way, have to wait and see.

I was surprised you didn't get ripped as I did at the mention of the 400 hour break in. I mentioned that on the integrated thread the other day.

Jeff , can you keep us posted on your thoughts of the new cd player after you have had it in the system for a while.
Cheers, Greg
 
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Hi Bruce,

I heard Simaudio is supposed to make a dac based on the 750 D in the future. Maybe it might be worth waiting for and hooking up to the Supernova. I may go that way, have to wait and see.

I was surprised you didn't get ripped as I did at the mention of the 400 hour break in. I mentioned that on the integrated thread the other day.

Jeff , can you keep us posted on your thoughts of the new cd player after you have had it in the system for a while.
Cheers, Greg
I think the 750D will be better bet than SuperNova + DAC. It's smaller than SuperNova and a trade in is likely to mean standalone DAC is poor value.

Thirty years ago approx I bought Quad ELS 57, And Linn LP 12 and Stax SRD5 earspeakers and Lecson AC1/AP1 (Boothroyd Stuart)

The Moon run in is exaggerated in my view i.e. cosmic performance after 150 hours but time will tell ...... maybe I'm being hasty!!!
 
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